Henry Sejude believes that Merab Dvaliszvili could become a bantamweight goat.
Dvalishvili recorded his second defense of his championship belt, his 13th consecutive victory, and recorded a Submission Win highlighted by rival Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 316 last Saturday. Heading into the match, Dvalishvili has already put together the best resumes of all time, and he now has established himself as the best one to compete in the 135 pound division, passing names like Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw.
To him 4 pounds Podcast, Cejudo, claimed that at least, Dvalishvili could now be a 1-pound, one-pound fighter.
“If he’s more active than all these other fighters, it’s not fair to you to not say he’s pound pound (No. 1),” Sejudo said. “I’ll give you an example, Kamal Usman. Kamal Usman, at one point, I fought everyone, smacked them a few times, and he was doing it for the pound (No. 1).
However, Cejudo also warned that, just as Dvalishvlii was, he could lose his title in his next defense.
After his victory, Dvalishvili declared that his next opponent was Cory Sandhagen, who was in attendance at UFC 316. Sandhagen suffered a small loss to other candidates, but he is a fresh opponent for Dvalishvili and holds some notable victories. On Sandhagen’s latest outing in May, he defeated two-time UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.
It’s the test that Sejude needs to see him pass.
“If he defeats Corey Sandagen in this fight, yes,” Sejude said. “I’m going to put him for Pound, the best fighter in the world. 100%.”
“But with that being said, I don’t think he beat Corey Sandhagen, just as he checked this and praised Merab. …The only reason why it feels most problematic for a guy like Merab Dvalishvili is that Corey Sandhagen brings more people than a threat like Sean O’malley, so Corey Sandhagen added later. “Others too, Corey Sandhagen can stand up too. He throws his knees in the middle against a guy like Umar Nurmagomedov.
“And I feel that there are people who believe or potentially work with guys like Merab, and I have to praise Merab, he is a bantamweight goat.
If Dvalishvili achieved three title defenses and 14 consecutive wins, and his legend continues to grow. In Cejudo’s eyes, Dvalishvili’s achievements have already been positively compared to pound-pound greats Jon Jones and Islam Makhachev.
“John Jones hasn’t experienced everyone in the heavyweight division,” Sejude said. “Islam Makhachev has not experienced everyone in the lightweight division. This guy is trying to experience everyone and there is no denial. …If Merab can do that, he is not only worth the pound, but a fighter for the year 2025.”